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Classes and Their Roles
Thelos is a custom world with many changes from the standard D20SRD ruleset. Of course, you can play however you want in this world, and there are notes below on how to make the standard classes fit the world of Thelos. If you want to play in the world as intended, see How Thelos is Different for custom information. Barbarian Where civilization dominates the land barbarians are found on the fringes. People who have lived alone in the wooded areas far from major settlements. They may be mountain men who have spent years trapping and hunting with very little human contact, or woods guides who rarely step foot in a town or city. In areas like the Savage Frontier where huge swaths of land have not been touched by progress barbarians are the staple warriors of society. This class can come from nearly any race and region, and is not always the stereotypical unwashed brute that wears a leather diaper and is good with an axe. Consider Conan and his path from orphaned child to old king. Warrior, rogue, lover, pirate, statesman, and commander but always at the heart a savage and honorable barbarian. Bard Skalds, musicians, and story tellers come from all walks of life and any civilization. They can be the keepers of history for less advanced civilizations that have not yet developed writing, or singers in a king's court in the richest city in the land. Their magic, since it is unlearned like that of a wizard, can make them outcast and even hunted. This leads them to be more subtle with their spellcraft in many situations. Using misdirection and theatrics to hide their talent is common when they are in areas dominated by wizards, or people who fear arcane magic in its entirety. Cleric Clerics are the religious leaders, healers, shamans, and spiritual guides of the world. Any society that believes in one of the Gods of Thelos can have clerics. The pantheon of Thelos is very real, and very present in the lives of the world's inhabitants so one will not find a cleric of an ideology or a false deity. Even if a con-man attempted to set up shop as a cleric of a false idol they'd soon be found out when their divine powers fail to manifest. Unlike other campaigns, there is a price to be paid when using healing magics. One change with this class is that all healing magic (and the counter-magic harm) will do 10% of the amount healed in subdual damage to the healer. It is the one reason that healing is not always available to the sick, and can sometimes come at a high price. Only the truly self-sacrificing will give away their healing services without payment or mind to their own wellness. Even then a cleric will always keep in mind that if they work themselves to exhaustion, or even death, they are no good to those they choose to serve. Druid Druids serve the land and her people wherever those people cherish the balance of nature. They are most common among the elves, for their staunch love and respect for the land. Some small enclaves of human druids, and even fewer dwarven druids are not unknown. In Thelos the druids are often the law-givers and lore-keepers among the less civilized societies as well, filling the role of elder statesmen and women. For druids balance is everything, and while they will not outright make war on civilizations that threaten that balance, they may work against such settlements in other less obvious ways. Fighter Fighters are the soldiers, brawlers, and general toughs of society. They can be found anywhere on Thelos, in any city or village. They can be anything that requires a sturdy set of fists or a sharp blade. Fighters are by far the most common class of character in the world. Monk Monastic warriors from supremely disciplined religious sects sometimes travel the world in search of knowledge or enlightenment. For example Farandal's historians, who travel the land recording major events as tattoos upon their skin, are monks of the Goddess. They practice the disciplined art of defense without killing so as not to directly affect the history of the world they observe. Paladin Unlike some systems Paladins of Thelos are true righteous warriors and representatives of the goodly divine. There are no gray paladins or dark paladins. They are always devoted to a goodly deity whose alignment must be within one step of Lawful Good. Only deities who are NG, LG, or LN will have paladins in their service. Paladins are not a class to take lightly and players are encouraged to research the class and the difference between Lawful stupid and Lawful Good. Ranger Hunters, trappers, wood guides and scouts are often rangers. A ranger would be anyone specialized in survival in a specific wilderness environment. Mountainous lands, woodlands and deserts will have rangers who have learned to live off of and along with the land and its denizens. While similar to barbarians and druids, rangers are distinctly separate in how they maintain a connection to the more civilized world. Rangers often bridge the gap between civilization and the wild parts of the world by protecting villages from ravaging monsters, guiding travelers through dangerous areas, and keeping cities informed of changes in nearby wildlife to help maintain balanced hunting grounds. Much like druids they favor balance between nature and people though they can be more militant in protecting the land, or spend more time among goodly people who they've found to be responsible with their progress. Rogue Rogues may be as common as fighters on Thelos. Cutpurses and footpads, burglars and bandits may all fit this class. They can be found anywhere there is something of value. They are not always criminal, but almost always known for their disregard for societies rules and laws. Some may turn their skills to more benevolent pursuits but there's few that will look upon opening locks and sneaking around in the dark as a goodly profession. Sorcerer Those who are born with the ability to cast arcane magic without first learning the art are rare. Often they are feared by average people, and hated by wizards. In some cases these spellcasters are hunted by the more extreme. Unlike bards, sorcerers do not usually have the performance skills to hide their magic use and will often avoid it whenever they are around strangers or in cities and towns. Wizard Practitioners of the arcane arts come from every civilization on Thelos, except the elves. It would be extremely rare to see one of the wilder folk overcome their disgust of arcane magic to take up the practice. Wizards all learn from the school in the Magerealm after a period of apprenticeship with an older practitioner who sponsors them. Very few renegades will learn outside the Magerealm, but it is not completely unheard of. At the school all magic is taught, and wizards of any social or moral disposition adhere to a strict code of conduct which is enforced harshly. Goodly men and women study along side those of darker dispositions while any and all grudges are left at the borders of the Realm. Any breach of the peace will result in immediate banishment, or worse.